Accounting machine



MalCh 1, 1932- w. w. LASKER. JR 1,847,533

ACCOUNTTNG MACHINE Filed May 9, 1927 4 'Sheets-Sheet l figg.

@39% 711.8 @UCM/man March 1, 1932. w. w. L SKER. JR C 1,847,533

ACCOUNTING MACHINE 351g 7715 @Mom/w12* 1 March 1, 1932. W, W, LASKER` 1R 1,847,533

'ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1927 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lo l March 1 1932.

W. W. LASKER, JR

ACCOUNTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 9, 1927 Patented 1, 1932 PATENT OFFICE y WILLIAM w. msm m., or BnooxLYN, Naw Yom:

Accomme momma I 4application mea may e, im. serm no. 190,001.

This invention has reference to accounting machines', and particularly to such as will operate on a record or record card, as set forth in U. S.,patent granted to me December 29, 1925, No. 1,567,325. In such records the cards do not contain perforations, as in other cards or records for `similar use, but have spots or portions of electrical conducting material applied on the insulated surface of the cards, which spots are located in certain definite and predetermined relations, according to the data that is represented or designated by the cards.

The object of the present invention is to provide mechanism that will serve to form an accounting of the various data that was used to form the records on the cards, by suitable re'cording means or work members, such as sorting machines, or tabulating or analyzing means.

A further object is to provide mechanism adapted to cooperate with such record cards furnished with electrical conducting spots or portions, whereby a superposed pile or stack of such cards will have the lowermost card in the pile engaged on its bottom face by a cooperating member of the machine, While such card in the pile is still engaged by the superposed cards; and the work member, such as a sorter or an analyzer is actuated' by the engagement of such machine member with the card still in the pile, and without any interference by the next record card in the pile; and thereupon the said bottom card is withdrawn from the pile, and the succeeding card is by such action at once brought into position for engagement with the said engaging member. and the card Withdrawn may be passed to sorting receptacles, according to the data that is on the card and the Withdrawal of the said v card from the. pile. will put the succeeding the Work member.

of a pile must needs be removed from a pile into a separate analyzing'position, and there coo erate with selecting. means located on opposite sides ofthe-card; and then such card is removed from the separate anal ing sition, andk another card from the pile ed into the analyzing position.

A. further object. of the invention is to provide means for introducing a relay circuit that will more eiiiciently actuate and control the work member; and which relay circuit may include a vacuum tube with suitable circuits therefore. r

In the accompanying drawings -showing embodiments of m invention:

Fig. 1 is a side e evation partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view. Y

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4.- is a partial side elevation enlarged.

Fig. 5 shows a. detail of the latching means for the shutter.

Fig. 6 is a diagram view of the terminal members, and connecting circuits.

Fig. 7 shows one of the terminal members.

Fig. 8 shows a portion of one commutator.

Fig. 9 shows a common terminal member.

Fig. 10 shows a detail of thelatter.

Fig. 11 shows in a diagram the circuits including a relay and a vacuum tube.

Fig. 12 shows contacts for a duplex, card.

Fig. 13 shows a duplex card.

As I have set forth, thepresent machine is 30 designed to employ ,records or cards containing spots or portions of4 electric conducting material that has beenapplied to the insulated surface'o the cards. In another patent granted to me February 16, 1926, No. 1,573,- 174 is shown a terminal member that carries two terminals insulated from each other, con# nected in circuit with a battery and a work member such as an indicator, so that when these termina-ls are applied to aspot of conducting material, such terminals will be bridgedv to complete the circuit and actuate the Work member. The present machine is designed to practically carry out the same purpose, in which a. stack of cards are placed in a magazine, and a number of pairs of terminals are brought to engage the lower face of the bottom card, to have some onelpair of terminals engage a spot of electrical conducting material on s uch card; and a series of resoy ceptacles are provided alongla conveyor with guides for the receptacles, t at are caused by the said pairs of terminals respectively, to be actuated at once on such engagement. Thereupon the bottom or end card is withdrawn and advanced to the conveyor and passed along for engagement with the shifted guide, by which it will be directed into the proper receptacle. This bottom card being ejected, will permit the succeeding card to be brought to positions for engagement with the terminals. All such mechanism in automatic and controlled in one cycle of operation, it being only necessary to place the stack of cards in the magazine.

As shown in the drawings, a suitable base 2 is provided comprising four upright walls tapered inwardly with a top plate 3, and the latter carries an upright plate 4 extending along one side of the base 2. At the other side is an upright plate 5 extending a short distance at one end. The latter serves to suport a magazine 6 having a fixed bottom plate 7), see Fig. 6. This bottom plate is provided with suitable openings to receive terminal members, adapted to engage the spots on the card that are arranged in columns as in this art. Since the bottom card is to be ejected from the pile through a suitable opening at one side, for engagement with a conveyor, it is desirable to withdraw the several terminals from engagement with this card just before it is ejected, and to advance the terminals to engage the succeeding card. As shown in Fig. 7 the bottom plate 7 is provided with a series of slots 7 a, 7 b, 7 e, 7d, 7e, through which the terminal members are advanced, and these slots extend across the bottom 7 at such places as to expose the columns on the bottom card so that such spots as may be on the bottom card can be contacted by the terminal members. For the sake of clear illustration these five slots for the five terminals are shown separated a considerable distance, and somewhat enlarged, but in prac tice will be placed comparatively close together, which is a mere matter of mechanical detail. It is customary to provide in each column ten or more locations in any one of which the spot may be applied, just as with the present system of perforated cards, a perforation is made in any one of ten or more positions in each column. The present mechanism is designed to operate on a single column at one time, that is any one of the ten or more locations may be provided with a conducting spot. While a pair of terminals are caused to engage at each of the spots locations, one terminal of each pair can be connected to form a common return, well known in this art, especially with the perforated card system operating through electric circuits by terminals that penetrate the opening and complete a circuit through a conducting member at the opposite face of the card.

.8z', 8j, in Fig. 9. Associated with each of these common terminals is a single terminal that may be carried by the bar 8 and insulated therefrom, and connected to the terminal wires 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, as shown in Figs. 6, 9 and 10, these numerals being applied to the wires or conductors that extend from the terminal projections 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, etc. Each of these common terminals 8, 60, 61, 62, 63, with an attached individual terminal is shown mounted on a support plate 19 from which they are separated by insulating material as shown in Fig. 7 This plate is shown as mounted on four bent levers 20 at its four corners to be thereby pressed upwardly and move these terminal members through the slots to engage the card; these four levers 20 are connected by cross shafts 21 and 22 in pairs with a connecting link 23, and an arm 24 on shaft 22 arranged to engage a cam 25 on a main driven shaft 26. The latter also serves to actuate the ejector in timed relation, said ejector being shown in a form of a slide 27, see Figs. 4 and 6, that is swung from levers 28 and links 29, by a cam 30 on the shaft 26 engaging a roller 31 on one of the levers as 28. By this mechanism the plate 19 will be raised to engage the card by the pairs of terminals and complete a circuit on engagement with a spot at any of the ten locations, and l,which terminals lead to a work member to be described. Then the terminal plate is withdrawn and the ejector plate is advanced to cause the bottom card to be withdrawn. This will bring the succeeding card in position to be at once contacted by the terminal plate when it is again raised. The work member employed in the present mechanism comprises a series of card deiiectors or guides, each arranged in operative relation to a respective card receptacle, ten being shown so that a spot in a dili'erent one of the ten locations will cause the card as advanced to pass into a corresponding receptacle, and cards will be thus sorted into ten stacks according to the location of the spots in any one of the ten locations in one column. Should there be no spot in the column analyzed the card passes to the reject box 4m by fixed guides 42.

As the card is ejected by the plate 27 it passes between a pair of rolls 32 and 33 which will engage the card when advanced a short fraction of its length, so that the ejector has only to move the card a short distance along the supporting plate and the rolls will remove the card entirely from the magazine. From these rolls the card is advanced through a conveyor in the same plane, comprising a set of upper rolls 3:1 that each engage a lower roll- 35 on opposite sides of this plane, the card being engaged by a succeeding pair before it leaves a previous pair of rolls, as usual I gears 39 on the upper rolls. The lower rolls lus are not positively driven. Adjacent to the plane or path of the card being conveyedby these pair of rolls, is arranged afseries of deilectors or guides, shown as one between each pair of rolls. Each comprises a lug late 40 mounted on a suitable cross shaft 41. is plate 40 in its normalposition willlie just below this plane or path, but by turning the deflector plate 40 slightly about its pivot shaft 41, the free edge of plate 40 will be raised so the advancin card will engage the lower face of this de ector plate, and by a curved extension 42, will be caused to deiiect downwardly, see Fig. 4, and vto be received in a receptacle formed by plates 43, and -Imay follow on to an angular supporting ,plate 45 carried by a sprin plunger 46. This as well known will move ownwardly by the Weight of the cards as they accumulate. Ten of these guides are shown one correspondin with each pair of the said pairs of termina s, and each of these guide plates connects with a plunger armature 47 that is drawn downwardly by a magnet 48 when energized. To retain the deflect'or plate when so shifted, each is provided with a lug or ear 49 that engages a trip lever 50 to hold it when swung to defiecting position. The trip lever is pressed to engage the lug by a spring 51. To release any one of these trip levers I provide a universal release bar 52 carrying a plurality of pins 53 each of which pins is positioned so as to engage the inclined end 54 of a respective one of these trip levers, so that it willswing the lever away from the ear 49 and release the advanced plunger 47. A

spring 55 will move the plunger upwardly to normal position, that will swing the deiector plate 40 back to its normal position. The bar 52 carries a roller which isengaged by a cam 56 on the shaft 26 in proper timed relation to release the trip after a card has been received and before the pairs of terminals are moved up for the next sensing operation.

The main shaft 26 is shown as operated from the cross shaft 36 by means of a. gear train denoted generally by 57, see Fig. 3, that will very much reduce the speed of this shaft 26, asl compared with the speed of the feed rolls.

It will be understood that each of the magnets 48 is to be operated upon completion of a'circuit by one of the terminal pairs of the bar 8, there being ten of these magnets and ten pairs of circuits. As a simple method of operation one wire from the terminal plate 8 can connect with the return circuit from all of these magnets, as would be indicated generally in Fig. 6 by the wire 58, through a battery at 59. The other terminals of these ten mao'nets would be connected with each of the sai other terminals numbered 9 to 18 respectively. By-this means when the terminal carrier is advanced, anyone of these ten pairs of contact terminals enga 'ng a spot in any of the ten locations, wouldlthus complete a circuit fromthe battery at 59, and

someone of the ten magnets 48, that correspond with the ten locations and terminals. Thereupon the plunger is actuated to shift the respective sortin guide. The main shaft thereupon causes t e terminal plate to be withdrawnfand in proper timed relation the ejector plate 27 is advanced and the bottom card is moved out of the magazine until its forward edge is engaged by the first pair of rolls. The latter will entirely withdraw the card and it will be advanced by the succeeding pairs of rolls forming the conveyor, along this path until it reaches a selected guide or defiector plate, which corresponds to the location of the spot just contacted. This card will then pass down to the receptacle. At this stage, that is as soon as the card engaged is advanced into the receptacle, the terminal plate can be again raised to engage the next card. The trlp bar for all of the guides is actuated just as soon as the card has been received, say in the receptacle farthest advanced from the ma azine and such guide is restored, that must e done previous to the ejecting of the next card from the magazine. Time is given `for an ejected card to reach the reject box 4a* before the contacts engage the next card to be analyzed.

A magazine as set forth, would operate for a single column, but where a number of columns of locations for the spots as provided on the card, as usual in this art, special circuits and connections such as commutators are used. In the several views I have shown five of these terminal members denoted generally by l8. These are practically duplicates and four othe'rs are shown 60, 61, 62,

63, that are mounted on the plate 19 on insulation and are shown as connected separately by five wires 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, that end in terminal spots on an insulated bar 69. A suitable rod 70 carries an arm 7l movable along the bar to engage 'with any one of these terminal wires or spots to engage the one selected with the bar 70. In regard to the other ten terminals on each of these live bars, the corresponding ones are simply connected with each of the wires 8a-8j as indicated at 9w-18 in Fig. 6. means it will be seen that the conductors 9-18 can be placed in circuit with any of these five A By this In Fig. 6 I show a pair of commutators that will cause a relay to be introduced into any one of the ten circuits for the ten magnets respectively. These ten conductors 8a-8j are provided with ten contact brushes denoted generally by 72 which brush on respective commutator rings 73 on a commutator shaft 74 that is rotated from the main shaft 26. These ten rings are respectively connected with ten bars denoted generally by 75 on the shaft 74, which commutator bars 75 engage a brush 76 in sequence as rotated and thus each of the ten circuit wires 8er-8j are in sequence connected with the brush 76, as indicated in Fig. 6. A conductor 77 leads from the bar 70 to a coil 78 and thence through a battery 79 to this commutator brush 76. By his means it will be understood that on rotation of the commu tator at one point in its revolutionwhen the brush 76 engages the corresponding bar, the circuit will be complete through the relay coil 78 and battery at 7 9, and thus the relay will be actuated. The shaft 74-of the commutator is preferably constantly rotated at an increased speed from the main shaft 26, through a connecting shaft 80,'and suitable connecting gearing.

Each of the magnets 48 is connectedl With one of a setof ten terminals or brushes 81 by suitable wires, which terminals constantly engage rings 82 respectively on a commutator 83. These rings are connected in the usual manner with commutator bars 84 respectively, engaged by a brush 85, which latter as the commutator rotates will be in circuit with each magnet in sequence. A pair of terminals 86 and 87 are caused to be bridged byl a lever 88 of the relay magnet 7 8, when this magnet is in circuit with its battery 79, these terminals 86 and 87 will be connected. The common terminal 58 of the magnets is connected through battery 59 and terminal 87; while the other terminal 86 is in circuit by wire 89 with the terminals 85. The commutator 83 is connected with the shaft 74 of the other commutator and they rotate together. The spring 781 normally holds lever 88 with terminals 86, 87 open but a circuit in wire 77 by the terminals engaging a spot on a card will swing the lever to close these contacts 86, 87, and the appropriate magnet 48 will be energized to operate a guide for the paper receptacle. It will be further understood that the commutator bars are so connected relatively on the two commutators that when any one of the ten terminals 8a-8y' is put in circuit with the brush 76. the corresponding magnet 48 is put in circuit with the brush 85 of the magnet commutator. When the terminals are closed by a spot on the card the relay at 78 is actuated, and will cause the circuit of the magnets through the terminals 86, 87 and the battery 59. It will be further understood that this will apply to any one of the live different columns of terminals according to the position of the selector bar 71.

In Fig. l1 is shown a circuit similar to that of Fig. 6, but cooperating with the relay at 78, a vacuum tube V is em loyed having the usual four terminals, P, F, F. The latter two are provided with the usual filament circuit C. In this arrangement the grid terminal connects with the column selector terminal bar 7 O by a wire 90; and the other terminal of the circuit that is closed by the card spot as the brush 85,- connects through the grld battery 79, by wire 91 leadin into the F circuit. This will vary the gr1d circuit whenever a card spot is engaged by the terminals. I provide a relay having a coil 78 that normally causes its armature lever 88 to open terminals 86, 87. The latter 87, is in circuit with the brush 85 of the mag- 1 net commutator, while the terminal 86 connects by wire 92 with the battery 59 and the common return wire 58 of the magnets 48. TheI leadl93 from the late of the tube leads to-this relay magnet 7 and a wire 94 connects with the wire 91, leading to the filament circuit. By this means it will be understood that any change in the grid circuit by the terminals engaging a spot will affect this circuit, and affect the plate circuit of the tube in a much stronger degree. The latter will weaken the relay 78 and spring 7 81 will close the circuit of the magnet commutator and energize one of the magnets 48 whose bar is in engagement at that time with the brush 85.

In my said Patent No. 1,567,325 dated December 29, 1925. the documents or cards are provided with electrical conducting portions or spots on one face or surface of the card. I have also arranged cards or documents with electrical conducting portions on each of the opposite faces. In Fig. 13 the card C is shown with such spots on each of the two faces.

With such a. document, the cards could be run in through the machine as herein set forth engaging one face to tabulate or analyze the records thereon. Then the same card is reversed and run through the same machine to analyze the record on the opposite face of the card.

This duplex card might be further employed to be advanced through a mechanism arranged to engage its opposite faces. either at the same station or at different stations in the same machine. A set of terminals are arranged to engage one face of the. card and another set of terminals are located whereby they can engage the opposite face. of the same card. Such an arrangement is indicated in Fig. 12. where the spot S on card C is engaged by terminals D and E that control a work member F through a battery G. An-

other set of terminals H and K engage the 84 through battery B y. opposite face of the card at spot S1 and operate a work member M through a battery N.

It will be understood that the cards or documents could be sensedfrom above or from the side by reversing the cards or by standing them on edge; also the cards could be moved against the sensing pairs instead of moving the pairs against the cards; butv these constructions are mere reversals and lo obvious equivalents Y of the means herein shown and described. I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact structure-herein shown and described, but only limit myself to such structure as may fall within the definition of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device `for -analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting' material 'applied to predetermined portions of 'said documents, the combination of means for supporting a document to be analyzed, work members, a relay, contact members adapted to contact the surface of a document to be analyzed and operate said relay when any of said contact members contacts electrical conducting material on said document, and4 means whereby said relay may operate any one of said work members without operating any other of said work memy bers.

2. In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said documents, the combill nation of a document magazine; a plurality of work members; a plurality of commonterminal members; and a plurality of series of individual terminal elements, one series for each of a plurality of said common terminal members, the individual terminals of each of said series being connected for operative relation with respective ones of said Work members whereby control of the respective Work members may be effected upony bringing the respective ones of said individual terminal elements and common terminal members into circuit closing relation with electrical conducting material carried by a document in said magazine.

3. In a device for analyzing documents having data indicated thereon by carrying electrical conducting material on portions of their faces, the combination of a document ,magazine; a plurality of Work members, a plurality of pairs of contacts, one pair for each of a plurality of said work members, and each pair arranged to contact a document in said magazine at a different predetermined position on the document; and means connecting said pairs with their respective work members and adapted to operate any of such work members when its respective pair contacts electrical conducting material on a document. l 4. In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical con ucting material applied to predetermined portions o said documents, the combination of means for supporting a document to be analyzed, work members,fcontact members adapted to contact the surface of a document to be analyzed, and a thermionic valve controllable from said contact members and itself connected in such manner as to control said work members.

V5. In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said documents, the combination of a document magazine' a plurality of document receiving receptacles; a conveyor for conveying documents from said magazine along a predetermined path adjacent to said receptacles; a pluralit of 7movable deiectors, one deflector for eac of a plurality of said receptacles, a thermionic valve, and means for causing said thermionic valve to control said delectors according'to the data indicated on said documents.

6. In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data'by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said documents, which predetermined portions are arranged in columns on said documents, the combination of a plurality of sets of pairs of contacts, the pairs of contacts of each of said sets including one pair for each predetermined portion of a column of predetermined portions on the document to be analyzed; means for render,- ing any one of said sets of pairs of contacts effective and ineffective at the will of the operator; and work members operatively connected with said pairs of contacts.

7 In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said documents, the

vcombination of means for supporting a docu-l ment to be analyzed, vWork members, a relay, contact members adapted to' contact the sur'- face of a document to be analyzed and operate' said relay when any of said contact members contacts electrical conducting material on said document, and a commutator operatively connected to said relay.

8. In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said documents, the combination of means for supporting a document to be analyzed, work members, a relay, contact members adapted to contact the surface of a document to be analyzed and operate said relay when any of said contact members contacts electrical conducting material on said document, a commutator element between said contact members and saidrelay, and a commutator element between said relay and said work members.

susr

9. In a machine for analyzing data indicated on documents by means of electrical conducting material; the combination of a device for supporting a document in position to be analyzed; a plurality of airs of contact elements movable into an out of contact with the face of a document to be analyzed; a plurality of work members operatively connected to said pairs of contacts; a plurality of documents receiving receptacles, one for each of said Work members; a conveyor for conveying documents to said receptacles; an ejector for moving documents from said device to said conveyor; and means for moving said pairs of contact elements and said ejector in timed relation at each of a plurality of cycles of operation of said machine.

10. In a device for analyzing documents adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said documents, the combination of means for supporting a document to be analyzed, a plurality of work members, a plurality of pairs of contacts for ei'ecting control of said Work members, and means for effecting relative movement be-` tween the documents to be analyzed and said pairs of contacts for causing the latter to impinge upon the surface of the documentv to be analyzed.

1l. The combination of a document magazine for holding a plurality of documents to be analyzed, a plurality of Work members, and a plurality of sensing devices each operatively associated With a respective one of said Work members, and operative for sensing the documents in said magazine one at a time and While the documents are in said magazine.

12. The-combination of a document magazine, a conveyor for conveying documents from said magazine, a plurality of document receptacles arranged along said conveyor, a document deflector for each of a plurality of said receptacles, and means for contacting the surface only of a document in said magazine and for operating the deectors according to the document contacted.

13. The combination of a document magazine for holding a plurality of documents to be analyzed, a plurality of document receptacles, analyzing devices for determining by contact with the surface of the documents in said magazine which of said receptacles the respective documents are to be conveyed to, and a conveyor for conveying the documents as analyzed directly from said magazine to their respective receptacles as determined by said analyzing devices.

14. In a device for analyzing records adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said records, the combination of a record magazine, a plurality of fectng operation thereof and means for re- `taining each of said deflectors inthe path of travel of the recordsl when moved to vauch position.

15. In a device for analyzing recordsi adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said records, the combination of a record magazine, a plurality of record receptacles, means for convey' records along a path from said magazine adjacent to said receptacles, arespective reoord delector for each of said receptacles and normally out of the path of travel of records from said magazine, means for moving said deflectors into the path of travel of the records and including a plurality of pairs of contacts adapted to impinge upon the surface of the records in said magazine, each of said pairs of contacts being operatively' related to a respective one of said delectorB for effecting operation thereof, means for retaining each of said deflectors in the path of travel of the records when moved to such position, and automatic means for releasing said deflectors from their retaining means.

16. In a device for analyzing records adapted to indicate data by means of electrical conducting material applied to predetermined portions of said records, the combination of a record magazine, a plurality of record receptacles, means for conveying records along a path from said magazine and adjacent to said receptacles, a respective record deiiector for each of said receptacles and normally out of the path of travel of records from said magazine, a respective magnet for each of said deflectors for moving said deflectors into the path of travel of said records, a plurality of pairs of contacts adapted to impinge upon the surface of the records in said magazine and each pair operatively related to a respective one of said ma ets fer controlling the same, and a respective latch for each of said deflectors for holding the same in the path of travel of the records when moved to such position.

17. In a device for analyzing records adapted to indicate dat-a by means of electrical conductingmaterial .applied to predetermined portions of said records, the combination of a record magazine, a plurality of record receptacles, means for conveymg records along a path from said magazine and adjacent to said receptacles, a respective record deflector for each'of said receptacles and normally out of the path of travel of records Jtrom-said magazine, a respective magnet for each et said detlectors for movingA said deiectors into the path of travel of said ree? ords, a plurality of pairs of contacts adapted to irnpinge upon the surface of the records in said magazine and each pair operatively related to a respective one of said magnets for controlling the same, a respective latch 'for each of said cleflectors,'and universal rel leasing means for all of the latches. Y

Signed at New York, N. Y2, May`2, 1927. WILLIAM W. LASKER, Jar 

